


Family Matters

by PerfectlyHopeless



Series: Glass Cannon & Other Short Works [7]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Meetings, Fights, Markus Shepard, Meeting the Family, Navi Shepard-Vakarian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 03:13:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11282607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectlyHopeless/pseuds/PerfectlyHopeless
Summary: When Shepard finds out Garrus never told his family about their daughter, it's time for a meeting.





	Family Matters

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there!
> 
> I didn't have a whole lot of motivation to write for a long while, and then I started writing about Navi and I've not been able to stop. Exploring the family dynamic has given me something to focus on and I really hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing <3

“What do you mean you never told them!?”

In the Shepard-Vakarian household, fights were usually things that were done quietly. For the most part they never classified as fights, just disagreements and arguments over random bullshit that didn’t even matter, followed later in the evening with a session of lovemaking when they were certain that their daughter was asleep. After their years of living together they’d grown too accustomed to each other for there to ever be true fights.

“It never came up!”

This was different.

Rhea’s fingers itched, wanting to trigger her biotics so that she could smash something. Her brows pinched in the middle and her eyes narrowed. “Not once in the last two years did you ever think it might be a good idea to mention, ‘Oh by the way, I have a daughter’!?”

“I’m sorry, Ray!” Garrus snapped back, pacing in the living room and stepping over some toys that Navi had neglected to pick up before going to bed. “Things haven’t been easy since the relays were destroyed and now that they’re fixed they’ve been busy with the reparation effort.”

She was still mad, her anger boiling inside as her clenched knuckles turned white. “Have you even told them about me?”

“Spirits, Rhea!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up a bit. “You know damn well that I have! But we all have things on our minds, and the safety of my family…”

“We’re your family too!” She was shaking by now, her breath catching in her throat. Rhea choked on a sob, tears starting to fall from her eyes and streak down her cheeks. She let her hands relax enough so that she could bury her face in them, sobbing as she managed to say, “I just…” Rhea sank into the couch she’d been standing in front of, crying.

Garrus crossed the space over to her, kneeling down in front of his sobbing wife. “Rhea,” he said, his voice as gentle as he could manage.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed out, inhaling a shaky breath that got caught in her throat.

He reached out to her, taking hold of one hand and cupping her cheek with his other. His blue eyes looked over her face, thumb brushing tears from her skin. “I’m sorry, Ray, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No no, I know,” she said, cutting him off.

“That came out so wrong. You and Navi mean so much to me,” he assured her, moving so that his forehead met with hers. He nuzzled a little, just wanting her close. “I wouldn’t trade any of the moments that I’ve had with either of you for everything, but my dad and Sol… It’s still not easy for them right now.”

Rhea swallowed a lump that had lodged itself in her throat. “I understand, I know what… What it’s like to worry about the people you care about.”

“I know you do.”

“Years ago. Back before you found me on Menae…” she began. “I didn’t know where my parents were, I didn’t know where you were. I hated not knowing if any of you were safe. And here I am yelling at you for…”

Garrus shushed her and moved to kiss her, catching her soft lips with his hard mouth. She kissed him hard and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him almost desperately. Even though years had passed the horrors of the Reaper War still managed to find new ways to haunt them. Retirement had come as a brief respite from reality, but now they were in it again. “You’re forgiven, Ray.”

“I hate that we still have to worry about the safety of our loved ones,” Rhea managed, sniffling.

He held her close, breathing her in. “I hate it too,” he said, pulling back a little. “And you’re right, I should have told my dad and Sol about Navi sooner.”

“Your dad I could understand, but not even Solana?” Rhea could hardly believe it. “You guys send messages back and forth at least every week.”

“She returned to active duty to help the colonies in the Terminus,” he confessed, not really sure himself why he hadn’t told Rhea about it. “We haven’t been able to send much.”

Rhea’s eyes went wide, her mouth dropping a little as she breathed out, “Fuck… I’m so sorry, Garrus. I had no idea…”

“I never told you,” he said sheepishly.

She laughed lightly despite herself, shaking her head as she patted the space on the couch beside her. Garrus took his place beside her, gathering her in his arms and holding her close as she curled up against him. “We’re a fucking mess.”

Garrus chuckled in return. “We must be doing something right.”

Rhea snorted a laugh at their old inside joke, burying her face against him to hide her amusement. “I love you so much,” she mumbled into his chest.

“I love you too,” he said, the words spoken like a promise as always.

Rhea would have opened her mouth to say something more, but was interrupted by the sound of her almost five year old shouting, “You two are loud!”

The two untangled themselves, sitting upright on the couch now though they remained close. Rhea looked at their daughter as she walked up to them, a pout on her face.

“I’m sorry, baby girl,” Rhea said, hoisting her up and putting her on her lap. “Did we wake you up?”

Navi nodded, still pouting. She shifted from Rhea’s lap, planting herself firmly between her mom and dad. “Why were you two loud?”

“Your momma was frustrated,” Rhea explained simply, taking hold of Navi’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “But it’s all better now.”

“It is?” Navi asked with a yawn that stretched her whole face.

Rhea looked to Garrus for the answer to this one, meeting his gaze. He smiled softly, love in his gaze.

“Yeah, it is,” he assured his daughter. He moved to pick her up, putting her in his lap. “And it is past your bedtime.”

“You woke me up,” she argued with a sassy little huff, pouting in his arms.

“And now you’re going back to bed,” he said, setting her down and holding her hand.

“Tell me another story!” she insisted.

Rhea smiled, knowing there was no way that Navi would settle without a story from either of her parents. “You should tell her a story about Archangel,” she teased.

Were he human, Garrus would have blanched at the thought. Instead his mandibles pressed tight to the sides of his face and he shot Rhea a disapproving look. She put a hand to her mouth to hide her amusement.

“Who’s that?” Navi asked, looking up at her father expectedly. He just stammered.

“A hero to the people of the Omega space station,” Rhea began, using her Story Teller Voice to really lay on the dramatics. “Dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy.”

“Hero!” Navi cheered, bouncing on her toes at the sound of her favorite word. She gave Garrus’ hand a desperate little tug. “Tell me, Daddy!”

“Go on, Daddy,” Rhea teased, then continued with the voice, “Tell her the story of how Commander Shepard teamed up with Archangel to defeat the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known.”

Navi only grew more worked up at the mention of Commander Shepard, her mother the greatest of all heroes in her young eyes. “Momma, you knew Archangle?”

“Archangel, baby girl,” she corrected. “And yes I do. I know him quite well, actually.”

Their daughter kept tugging on her dad’s hand, almost as though she could pull him off of the couch if she tried hard enough. “Daddy, tell me a story!”

Garrus laughed at this. “Alright, I will. But only if you get in bed.”

At this Navi let go of his hand and ran for her bedroom, the light from her lamp spilling into the dim hallway. Garrus followed behind her, Rhea watching their shadows from the couch with a smile on her face.

It’d been a near nightly tradition since Navi had first come home. Either Rhea or Garrus would put her down for bed and tell her a story. Some came from books, but most of them were heavily edited versions of their escapades together. The edits often ranged from stretching the truth to making them outright outlandish and fantastical. They decided that until she was older they’d try and keep the horrors from that part of their lives to a minimum. But it was impossible to try and hide the fact the Rhea was Commander Shepard. She suspected Garrus would have an easier time hiding that he was Archangel from his daughter, no thanks to his wife.

Rhea moved into the kitchen to get herself some water to wash the taste of her own tears and snot from her mouth. She breathed deeply, enjoying the cool air of her home and watching the shimmering waves from the windows before moving into the bedroom.

Little things had been getting to her before the fight, an outburst just bubbling beneath the surface waiting for something to trigger it. With the reparation effort finally in full swing, old wounds were being picked at. The constant reminder that even though she had saved the galaxy from total extinction and annihilation, she hadn't been able to save them all. It was easy to forget that they were no longer in any immediate danger. No Reapers, no Cerberus, no clones, nothing that wanted her dead when she had the gratification of nearly everyone who had made it out alive.

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind the way her therapist had taught her, focusing on her breathing until she heard breathing in her ear.

“You’re doing it again,” Garrus said as he moved behind her, pressing his front against her back and wrapping his arms around her stomach.

“Am I that obvious?” she asked, the slightest of smiles on her face as she leaned into him, lacing their fingers together.

“Hm,” he mumbled. “Yeah, you are.”

“What can I say?” she said, her voice lowering in an attempt to be sexy. “Subtlety has never been a strong suit of mine.”

He chuckled at this. “Navi is sound asleep and shouldn't wake up until morning at least.”

“Sounds like we’ve got a moment for us,” Rhea said, turning around and straddling his hips. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him into the mattress, remotely locking their bedroom door from her omni-tool. A smile pulled at her lips as she bent down to trail kisses up her husband's neck and chin before finding his mouth.

Garrus’ subvocals hummed to voice his approval. “Sounds good to me.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Navi was well behaved as usual as she sat between her mother and father, the Shepard-Vakarians waiting for the Vakarians and Shepards. Rhea was dressed in black jeans and a red top that showed off her shoulders and covered her collar, her shoulder length black hair pinned back out of her face. Garrus wore his usual semi-formal outfit, blue with gold trim. Navi sat in a pair of pink leggings tailored for turian legs and her favorite purple sundress. The little girl sat content with her art tablet, doodling with her fingers while her anxious mother spoke with her father.

Rhea held Palaven and Earth in her palm, rotating them with biotics to try and keep her relaxed. “They’re not gonna like me.”

“They already like you,” Garrus assured her.

“We’ve only ever spoke over vid call,” she argued, staring at the stairs that lead down to the patio where they sat. In the background she could hear the Presidium fountain churning the waters below them. “They can’t possibly…”

“Relax, Ray,” he said, lowering his voice a little to try and get her to calm down. He reached behind Navi, taking hold of his wife’s hand. She latched on, grateful that he’d forgone the gloves and that she could feel his hand solid and warm in hers.

“I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?” she thought out loud, still fidgeting with the marbles.

“Yes,” Navi chimed in, obviously a little irritated by her mother’s fretting while she was trying to concentrate on her drawing. Rhea smiled at this, moving to kiss the top of her daughter’s head.

“Aren’t you adorable?”

Rhea perked up at the ever familiar voice of Hannah Shepard. She stood and slid her marbles into her pocket, greeting her mother with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Markus trailed just behind her, a smile on his face at the sight of his daughter. Rhea wrapped her arms around the taller man’s waist, standing on her toes to peck his cheek.

“It’s good to see you guys,” she said, taking a step back and smiling at her family. For a couple humans in their 60s her parents looked good, her father the first to go grey while her mother’s hair remained its gorgeous black. Hannah had come in her uniform, likely having to return after lunch. Markus came dolled up in a grey blazer and white shirt. He'd been out of a job since the war.

“It’s good to see you too, Rhea,” Markus said. “It’s been too long.”

“That it has,” Hannah chimed in, looking from her daughter to her son-in-law. “You’re looking handsome, Garrus.”

He smiled at this, nodding. “Always a pleasure, Admiral,” he said, extending his hand out for a shake. Hannah took hold of it and pulled him down so she could peck his cheek.

“Please, call me Hannah,” she insisted, smiling so that her eyes seemed to close. “It’s nice to meet when the sky isn’t crashing down around us.”

“That it is,” he agreed.

Rhea felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see Navi. “What is it, baby girl?” she asked.

“Momma, look,” she demanded, dragging her mother over so that she could show her her drawing. Rhea joined her daughter at the table, looking over the datapad.

“It’s gorgeous,” she marveled, her mouth open a little to show astonishment as she did what all parents did when they were shown their kids’ art. It was obviously meant to be a view of the beach from their living room, but given that it had been drawn by a child it mostly looked like a mash of various colors. Far be it for Rhea to be the one to snuff out her child’s creative spark, however. “Can you draw me next?”

Navi grinned as she shook her head. “No,” she said proudly.

“Please,” Rhea begged, a smirk on her face as she hugged Navi and rocked a little bit.

“No Momma!” Navi giggled. “It’s a surprise.”

“Speaking of,” Hannah chimed in from the side, the little family happily watching the cute scene between mother and daughter. “You have gotten so big.”

Navi looked at Hannah with a confused expression on her face. The little turian looked to her mother for a rescue.

“This is my mother, Navi,” Rhea said calmly, her tone even. “Do you remember Mimi from the vid calls?”

She was still silent for a moment as she thought, then let out a little gasp. “I know you.”

Hannah smiled. “You do? That’s good!”

Rhea stepped aside to let Hannah play the role of grandmother, her father joining them on the other side of the table. Garrus put an arm around her, pulling her close.

“Two down, two more to go,” he said.

She smirked at this, putting her arms around his waist and nuzzling against his chest. “We’re off to a good start so far.”

“Dad and Sol should be here soon,” he said, petting her head and moving back to the table. Rhea stiffened when she heard heavy footsteps from behind her. She turned on her heel and startled at the sight of the Vakarians.

The family resemblance was uncanny, Castis appearing to be a more mature version of Garrus, his facial marks the same shade of blue but painted differently on his face. The same went with Solana, the younger sister just a little shorter than her brother and her face marked with similar blue strokes.

They’d met briefly years ago, not long after the Reaper war. Not long enough for them to have had a real conversation that lead anywhere before they were taken in separate directions. They’d been busy people.

“Dad,” Garrus greeted, holding his hand out to his father. Castis took hold of it, smiling at Garrus before pulling him in for a hug.

“It’s good to see you safe, Garrus,” he said, pulling back and the two starting a brief conversation, leaving Solana and Rhea to socialize.

“How’ve you been, Shepard?” Sol asked.

“It’s been good,” she said honestly, putting her hands into her pockets and looking up at her. “It’s been better than I could have hoped for. What about you? Terminus treating you okay?”

Solana nodded. “It’s been rough out there, and it’s not always easy. But we get by. We’re doing good work, helping people. It’s not often I get the chance to take a breather.” She let her shoulders loosen at this, breathing deeply as though to make her point further. “Thanks for inviting me to come along.”

Rhea smiled at her. “Of course,” she said. “You’re family. Make sure you keep us updated whenever you get the chance.”

Sol’s mandibles quirked into a small smile, her gaze soft. “I’ll do what I can.”

She nodded at this, going stiff when she noticed Garrus’ father step towards her. She stood straight as Solana went to talk to her brother.

“Shepard,” he began, holding his hand out to her. She took it immediately, shaking it firmly. “It’s good to properly meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you too, sir,” she said, still formal.

“Please, call me Castis,” he said easily.

“Alright,” she said, relaxing slightly and folding her hands at the small of her back.

“I suppose I should be calling you Shepard-Vakarian now,” he said, smiling a little.

“Just Shepard is fine, or Rhea,” she offered. “Garrus told me you’re back with C-Sec?”

“Not officially, no,” he said. “As a volunteer. Retirement never suited me anyways.”

“I hear that,” Rhea said, understanding. “What sort of work have you been doing?”

“It’s mostly been resettlement,” Castis explained. “Getting people back some part of their old lives. We help them find jobs, reclaim their old apartments. That sort of thing.”

“Have you run into much trouble?”

“Fortunately, no. Violence rarely breaks out except down in the Wards, which is typical. For the most part we deal with complaints.”

Rhea's face scrunched up at this. “Sounds like fun,” she said sarcastically.

Castis chuckled. “It keeps me busy, so I can't complain.” He glanced beyond Rhea and nodded his head. “Your family, I assume?”

“Yes,” she said, leading him to the table. Her parents looked up and stood to greet him, Solana trailing just behind. “These are my parents, Admiral Hannah and Doctor Markus Shepard.” The three parents all gave introductions and handshakes while Rhea moved to her daughter. “There's someone, I want you to meet, okay?”

Navi looked up, a bit more comfortable meeting new people now. Rhea picked her up and hooked her on her hip, her daughter still small enough for her to do so for now, before showing her off to Castis.

“This is Garrus’ and my daughter, Navi,” she said, smiling.” Then to Navi, “This is Daddy's father.”

“Hello,” Navi said in basic, smiling up at her grandfather.

“Hello, Navi,” Castis said, smiling gently at her. He looked to Rhea. “Does she use a translator?”

“No,” Rhea said. “We’ve been raising her to speak both English and basic.”

“I’m very smart,” Navi said proudly in turian basic.

Castis continued to smile at her. “You are indeed,” he agreed, causing Navi to beam at him. “It’s good to meet you finally. You can call me Grandpa.”

Navi tested this new word, already knowing the meaning but never having had used it more than a couple times. She smiled up at him again when she saw that she'd said it right.

“She has your eyes,” Solana joked to Rhea as she came over to greet her niece. “I'm your dad’s sister, Sol.”

“Hi there,” Navi said, waving a little.

“Can I carry you?” Solana asked her.

“Yes!” she said, reaching out to her aunt. Rhea handed off her daughter to Sol, smiling at how small she was in comparison.

Solana hooked her properly on her hip, Navi clinging to her cowl and smiling. “You are so tiny,” Solana commented, shifting to get a little more comfortable. “How old is she?”

“Almost five solar years,” Rhea said.

“Already?” Castis said, brow plates shifting into an expression Rhea recognized as confusion.

She nodded, glancing at her omni-tool and gesturing to the little green light that blipped periodically. “Navi’s small for her age, but she’ll get bigger.”

Castis looked from Rhea’s wrist to Navi's, suddenly understanding. “Ah. May I speak with you and Garrus?” he asked, looking to his son.

The two exchanged nervous looks before agreeing.

“Aunt Sol will stay with you, alright?” Garrus said to Navi, looking to his sister.

“Okay Daddy,” Navi said, Solana nodding her affirmation.

Rhea folded her hands behind her back, following Castis to the opposite side of the patio.

“What's her condition like?” he asked, concern in his tone.

“Navi's been in good health for the last year,” Garrus answered.

“What's wrong exactly?”

“She was born with a rare muscle condition,” he explained. “Her heart, her limbs... they’re not as strong as they should be, prone to giving out. It's why she's still small. We’ve only had one episode since we adopted her.”

Rhea nodded. “She gets regular treatments from a specialist every few weeks back home. We make sure she doesn't get too much stress and we keep emergency meds on us whenever we go out,” she continued, conscious of the weight of the little medpacks in her back pants pocket. “In another year she shouldn't need any more treatments, only basic checkups. Afterwards she should recover easily. She'll be strong and grow at a normal pace, as though nothing was ever wrong.”

“Does she have everything she needs right now?” Castis asked, glancing back at Solana and Navi.

“Of course,” Rhea assured him.

“Her monitor keeps us updated every few minutes. If there's any significant change it lets us know immediately,” Garrus elaborated. “We won't let anything happen to her if we can help it.”

Castis nodded, then looked to Rhea. “I know that it's none of my business, but how human are you raising her?”

Rhea inhaled sharply, knowing in the back of her mind that this conversation was inevitable. “As human as she wants to be,” she said easily.

“We've both decided that Navi should be allowed to choose for herself what traditions she wants to follow,” Garrus said, coming to Rhea's defense. “Her health permitting, she'll be encouraged to go through basic, if only to receive her Clan Markings. But she obviously isn't living in standard family situation.”

Castis nodded, seeming to accept this answer. “Alright,” he said. “If either of you need anything, for Navi or anything else. Don't hesitate to ask.”

Rhea nodded in turn, relaxing again. “Thank you, Castis.”

“Of course,” he said. “Anything for my family.”

She felt light at this, a bit of anxiety finally relieved by hearing this said. They were all family now, never truly alone.

“Momma!” Navi shouted from the table. Rhea looked over glancing down at her omni-tool and reassured by the blinking green light.

“What is it, Navi?”she called back, walking over to her. Navi sat in Sol's lap, enjoying the attention from her extended family.

“Can we get something to eat now?” she asked, pouting dramatically. “I'm hungry.”

Rhea smirked. “Sure thing, baby girl.”

The Shepard-Vakarians all situated themselves around the table, the families getting better acquainted. Hannah and Castis bonded easily over their military experience while Navi continued to relish in the attention she received from her aunt and grandparents. Even Castis indulged in coddling his first grandchild, telling her tame stories of his time in C-Sec after learning how much Navi loved that sort of thing.

The afternoon carried on without incident, again reassuring Rhea that her anxiety over the day was unnecessary. As she relaxed with her family, Garrus’ hand found hers, giving her a comforting squeeze. She smiled, a sense of peace falling over her as she allowed herself to enjoy the easy setting around her and the comfort of having her loved ones safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tempted to do another little fic where Rhea introduces Navi to the _Normandy_ crew. Maybe while I'm at work tonight.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed it. Please consider leaving a comment and letting me know what you thought, I love feedback in all its forms and love constructive criticism. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much! I hope you have a good one :)


End file.
